Heating food causes changes to its proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and other components. Proteins coagulate and unwind when heated, undergoing reactions that turn foods brown and develop flavor. Fats melt and break down at high temperatures. Carbohydrates caramelize or gelatinize when cooked. Water transitions between solid, liquid, and gas when heated or cooled. Minerals, vitamins and other components can dissolve or degrade with cooking methods. Heat transfers through conduction, convection, and radiation during cooking. Cooking alters the nutritive value, texture, color, aroma, and flavor of foods.
Heating food causes changes to its proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and other components. Proteins coagulate and unwind when heated, undergoing reactions that turn foods brown and develop flavor. Fats melt and break down at high temperatures. Carbohydrates caramelize or gelatinize when cooked. Water transitions between solid, liquid, and gas when heated or cooled. Minerals, vitamins and other components can dissolve or degrade with cooking methods. Heat transfers through conduction, convection, and radiation during cooking. Cooking alters the nutritive value, texture, color, aroma, and flavor of foods.
Heating food causes changes to its proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and other components. Proteins coagulate and unwind when heated, undergoing reactions that turn foods brown and develop flavor. Fats melt and break down at high temperatures. Carbohydrates caramelize or gelatinize when cooked. Water transitions between solid, liquid, and gas when heated or cooled. Minerals, vitamins and other components can dissolve or degrade with cooking methods. Heat transfers through conduction, convection, and radiation during cooking. Cooking alters the nutritive value, texture, color, aroma, and flavor of foods.
To cook food means to heat it in order to make certain
changes in it.
MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF
FOODS: — Proteins — Fats — Carbohydrates — Water — Small amounts of minerals (including salt), vitamins, pigments (coloring agents), and flavor elements MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF FOODS: Proteins is a major component of meats, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, and milk products. It is present in smaller amounts in nuts, beans, and grains. — Coagulation Proteins consist of long chains of components called amino acids. These chains normally form tight coils. As proteins are heated, the coils gradually unwind. At this point, the protein is said to be denatured. when the protein coils unwind, they become attracted to each other and form bonds — Maillard reaction – When proteins are heated to about 310°F (154°C), the amino acids in the protein chains react with carbohydrate molecules and undergo a complex chemical reaction, the result is that they turn brown and develop richer flavors. — Connective tissues are special proteins that are present in meats. — Acids They speed coagulation. They help dissolve some connective tissues. MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF FOODS: FATS — 1. Fats are present in meats, poultry, fish, eggs, milk products, nuts, whole grains, and, to a lesser extent, vegetables and fruits. Fats are also important as cooking mediums, as for frying. — 2. Fats can be either solid or liquid at room temperature. Liquid fats are called oils. When solid fats are heated, they melt, or change from solid to liquid. The melting point of solid fats varies. MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF FOODS: — 3. When fats are heated, they begin to break down. When hot enough, they deteriorate rapidly and begin to smoke. The temperature at which this happens is called the smoke point, and it varies by type of fat. A stable fat—one with a high smoke point—is an important consideration in deepfat frying. — 4. Many flavor compounds dissolve in fat, so fats are important carriers of flavor. When fats melt and are lost from food, some flavors, as well as some vitamins, are lost with them. MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF FOODS: CARBOHYDRATES —1. Starches and sugars are carbohydrates. Both compounds are present in foods in many forms. They are found in fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, and nuts. Meats and fish also contain a small amount of carbohydrate. MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF FOODS: — The two most important changes in carbohydrates caused by heat are: — Caramelization is the browning of sugars. The browning of sautéed vegetables and the golden color of bread crust are forms of caramelization. — Gelatinization occurs when starches absorb water and swell. This is a major principle in the thickening of sauces and in the production of breads and pastries. *Acids inhibit gelatinization. A sauce thickened with flour or starch will be thinner if it contains acid. MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF FOODS FRUIT AND VEGETABLE FIBER 1. Fiber is the name for a group of complex substances that give structure and firmness to plants. Fiber cannot be digested. 2. The softening of fruits and vegetables in cooking is, in part, the breaking down of fiber. 3. Sugar makes fiber firmer. Fruit cooked with sugar keeps its shape better than fruit cooked without sugar. Baking soda (and other alkalis) makes fiber softer. Vegetables should not be cooked with baking soda because they become mushy and lose vitamins. MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF FOODS: WATER — 1. Nearly all foods contain water. Dried foods may contain as little as a fraction of 1 percent water, but fresh meats, fish, vegetables, and fruits consist mostly of water. — 2. Water exists in three states, solid (ice), liquid, and gas (water vapor or steam). At sea level, pure liquid water becomes solid, or freezes, at 32°F (0°C) and turns to steam at 212°F (100°C).When water molecules turn to steam and energetically escape into the atmosphere, water is said to be boiling. MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF FOODS: WATER — 3. Water can also turn from liquid to gas at lower temperatures. — Evaporation – the process in which water turns to gas at any temperature. Evaporation happens more slowly the lower the temperature is. Evaporation is responsible for the drying of foods. The drying of food surfaces as they are cooked enables them to be browned. — 4. Many minerals and other compounds dissolve in water, so water can be a carrier of flavor and of nutritional value. — 5. When water carries dissolved compounds, such as salt or sugar, its freezing point is lowered and its boiling point is raised. MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF FOODS: MINERALS, VITAMINS, PIGMENTS, AND FLAVOR COMPONENTS — 1. Minerals and vitamins are important to the nutritional quality of the food. Pigments and flavor components are important to a food’s appearance and taste and may determine whether the food is appetizing enough to eat. So it is important to preserve all these elements. — 2. Some of these components are soluble in water, and others are soluble in fats. All of these components may be leached out, or dissolved away, from foods during cooking. MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF FOODS: — 3. Vitamins and pigments may also be destroyed by heat, by long cooking, and by other elements present during cooking. — 4. It is important, then to select cooking methods that preserve, as much as possible, a food’s nutrients, taste, and appearance. HEAT TRANSFER — Cooking transfers energy from a heat source to food. Success in cooking will depend in — part on understanding the different methods of heat transfer. There are three ways to transfer heat to and through food: — Conduction — Convection — Radiation HEAT TRANSFER CONDUCTION Conduction occurs in two ways: — 1. When heat moves directly from one item to something touching it. for example, from the top of the range to a soup pot placed on it, from the pot to the broth inside, and from the broth to the solid food items in it.
2. When heat moves from one part of something to an
adjacent part of the same item. for example, from the exterior of a roast to the interior, or from a sauté pan to its handle. HEAT TRANSFER *Different materials conduct heat at different speeds. Heat moves rapidly through copper and aluminum, more slowly in stainless steel, more slowly yet in glass and porcelain. * Air is a poor conductor of heat. HEAT TRANSFER occurs when heat is spread by the movement of air, steam, or liquid (including hot fat). Two kinds of convection: 1. Natural Hot liquids and gases rise while cooler ones sink. Thus, in any oven, kettle of liquid, or deepfat fryer a constant, natural circulation distributes heat. 2. Mechanical In convection ovens and convection steamers, fans speed the circulation of heat. Thus, heat is transferred more quickly to the food, and the food cooks faster. Stirring is a form of mechanical convection. HEAT TRANSFER Radiation Occurs when energy is transferred by waves from a source to the food. The waves themselves are not actually heat energy but are changed into heat energy when they strike the food being cooked. — Two kinds of radiation are used in the kitchen: — 1. Infrared occurs when a heated electric or ceramic element reaches a high temperature and gives off waves. The waves travel at the speed of light in all directions. The food cooks as it absorbs the waves. — Heat transfer through infrared radiation takes place in broilers and toasters. — Special infrared ovens also can cook food very rapidly. HEAT TRANSFER — Microwave , the radiation generated by the oven penetrates partway into the food, where it agitates the molecules of water. The friction this agitation causes creates heat, which cooks the food. — The radiation generated by the oven penetrates partway into the food, where it agitates the molecules of water. The friction this agitation causes creates heat, which cooks the food. How Cooking Alters Food — Nutritive Value: Determined by the length of time food is cooked and the cooking technique used. — Texture: When heat is applied, the proteins in food coagulate, or change from a liquid or semiliquid state to a drier, solid state. — Color: Changes due to cooking process, certain ingredients, and temperatures. How Cooking Alters Food — Aroma: Pleasing smell created by cooking techniques that use fat as an ingredient or as a way to transfer heat. Caramelization is what creates these pleasing smells. — Flavor: Dryheat methods taste rich because of the caramelization process. Moist cooking techniques bring out a food’s natural flavor. Overcooking can ruin flavor.